Christmas Rebound

"Yes."

"Doesn't seem like your type."

"How so?"

"I don't know, it's just if I were fortunate enough to be with you, I'd work harder at it."

Before Marcella could respond Frank stepped behind Shep pointing to his watch. With a hint of sadness in her voice, she said, "This has been fun, but I have to go. Thanks and have a Merry Christmas." She got up and left Shep sitting alone by the window.

With a flushed face and hurried look, Frank took her by the arm and they headed out. As he hailed a cab, Marcella noticed that he staggered a bit. "Frank, did you have a lot to drink?"

Crossly he snapped, "Of course not! Don't start nagging." A taxi pulled up and as they got in he said, "The Antler Club."

"Why don't we go back to my place?" Marcella asked, hoping to curb his drinking.

Settling into his corner of the cab he said, "You mean go to your sister's family place?"

"Yes, that's where I mean when I say, home."

"No way," he grumbled. "I'm not in the mood for boring small talk and annoying questions. Not tonight. I want to have a little fun my last night in Cincy."

"But I thought you liked my family?"

"Yeah sure," he said before changing the subject, "We could go back to my place. The only thing left is my bed but that'll be all we need."

Marcella knew if she took him up on that offer the rest of the night would be filled with Frankcentric selfish sex. The club was a more appealing alternative. "No the Antler Club is fine."

When they arrived the host of the club set them up at a large booth, Frank ordered a round of martinis and a bowl of three-cheese fondue.

"Frank, what are you doing?"

"The whole gang is coming. I told them I'd have drinks and snacks waiting for them."

Marcella realized this was the only time she'd be able to ask what had been weighing on her, "This is good-bye for us, isn't it?"

He moved close and leaned a heavy shoulder against her. "Oh come on, we don't have to start the sob stuff so soon. The night is young, let's have some fun."

"But it's the end right?" she didn't care if she sounded a little whiny, time was short. "We've been together for almost a year. You never told me we didn't have a future. You could've ended us at any time but you didn't. What was I to think?"

He paused before he snipped, "I don't know, Marcella. How was I supposed to know what you think? I thought we were having fun. I don't want to stay in this city, you never said you wanted to leave. Can't we just keep it like this? You know, fun and friendly."

At that moment she felt colder than the snow outside. The waiter brought their drinks but all she could do was sit there quietly turning the glass on the table. Frank took her hand, "Marcella I think you're great. But, I don't think I am ready for a commitment and I didn't think you were either. I don't know how to explain it."

Marcella pulled her hand away, "I - I thought you knew I was ready for more."

He took a long drink from his martini. "I didn't. I guess I'm all kinds of mixed up."

That was enough for her. She stood up, "I'm going home. I'll meet you at the theater in the morning."

Before he could respond she hurried out to the street. There was a taxi at the curb unloading a group of familiar people.

Jan and Frank's other co-workers were arriving from Maxwell Jax. Jan looked at Marcella and asked, "What, are you leaving? Things are just getting started."

"Not for me, looks like they're ending," Marcella quipped as she got in the now-empty cab.

When she got home her sister Anna-Marie and brother-in-law Wilfredo were sitting at the dining room table doing paperwork associated with their businesses.

Her sister looked up and smiled, "How was the party?"

"Oh, the usual."

"Where's Frank? I thought you'd bring him home with you."

Putting her coat in the closet Marcella replied, "He wanted to stay out and I wanted to come home. I'll see him tomorrow."

Wilfredo and Anna-Marie exchanged glances that Marcella pretended not to see.

"I think I'll turn in," she said. "It's been a long day."

By the time she got into bed, she had slipped into a downward spiral of depression. The conversation with Frank had sucked away all of her self-esteem. Was he right? Should she have told him her feelings sooner? Had she misread his intentions the whole time?

As she lay there her emotional state became worse. Frank was considered a catch by most women. If she couldn't get it right with him maybe she couldn't get it right with anyone. What if no one would ever want her? What if she never found someone who would think she was worth a commitment?

She tossed and tuned. Maybe it wasn't too late she thought. Frank didn't say it was too late. He didn't say he didn't want her. He said he didn't know. Maybe it was up to her now, she had to make the move. Maybe she could change him. That's what she would do. When she saw him tomorrow at the Christmas concert she would tell him she wanted to go to Florida with him. Say that she wanted to be with him and that they would have fun together until he was ready for a commitment.

The next morning she was up and dressed early. She fixed breakfast for the family, then spent time with her niece and nephew. Before long it was time to head out.

In the fifteen-minute walk to the theater, she felt determined to make things work. She had invested too much effort to just give up on their relationship. If she told Frank she wanted to go with him he would take her and they could stay together.

Frank wasn't at the theater when she arrived. After waiting for half an hour she started to worry. He'd been drinking a lot last night. She knew Frank's phone was already turned off so there was no use in calling there. She thought she could call one of his friends but didn't know their number. Then she remembered that Jan had been with him, and she knew Jan's number.

She went to the lobby, dropped a dime into the payphone, and dialed.

Jan picked up on the second ring, "Hello."

"Hey, Jan, it's Marcella."

"Oh hi, Marcella what's going on?"

Behind Jan's voice, she could hear Frank say, "Don't tell her I'm here."

Then she heard Jan whisper, "Do you think I'm an idiot?" before speaking into the phone. "Hello? Marcella are you still there?"

Marcella swallowed her shock, summoned all of her self-control, and asked, "Doing anything right now? Looks like Frank is standing me up for this Christmas concert. I was wondering if you wanted to join me."

Jan hesitated. "Well . . . I'm kind of tired. I was up late last night. I don't think I can make it."

Marcella was getting cheated on, stood up, and brushed-off simultaneously. She blinked back tears before saying tonelessly, "All right Jan."

She hung up the phone and went outside. No longer in the mood for a concert, she started walking. She felt a mix of shame, embarrassment, emptiness, and fear. She was afraid that after being played for a fool no one would ever want to be with her again. She didn't know if she had the strength to ever get back out into the dating world. The idea of being single was terrifying.

She roamed around in the cold for over an hour before deciding to go home. When she got there she could hear unfamiliar voices, laughter, and Christmas music. Marcella walked into the living room and was startled to find a very familiar Santa Claus and a woman dressed as an elf having fun with her family.

Anna-Marie noticed her first, "Marcella what are you doing home so soon?"

"The concert didn't work out so well. What's going on here?"

"Santa and his friend are from Fisher's Department store. They're delivering gifts. Something about us winning a contest. Was that your doing?"

It took a few seconds for Marcella to put the pieces together, "Oh yeah. The other day when we saw Santa, I entered the kids to win gifts from the store."

"Well they were some of the winners!" said Santa before adding, "Merry Christmas to you Marcella."

With a coy smile, she said, "Merry Christmas to you 'Santa'."

She stared past the false whiskers into Shep's bright blue eyes. This was crazy. She'd met this guy randomly at a department store yesterday, then he showed up at the same bar last night, and now he's in her living room. If he was wearing anything but a Santa suit she'd be calling the police, "I've seen you a lot recently Santa. I thought this was your busiest time of the year?"

Shep said in a very Santa-like voice, "Yes, yes it is. But that's part of the magic of Christmas, it brings people together. One of my favorite parts of this holiday is being surrounded by people who care about you. Family, co-workers, friends old and new are there for you if you need them. If you're feeling blue they're the ones that will help you turn it around."

The lady elf cut in and announced, "Ok time to go. Santa would love to stay and say Christmassy things all day but we've got a schedule to keep."

Everyone exchanged seasonal farewells and headed out. Marcella couldn't shake the strangeness of her encounters with Shep. The random meetings, the way he always knew exactly what to say, it was more than a coincidence, it had to be.

They were halfway down the hallway when Marcella went after them, "Santa, wait."

He stopped and turned as she caught up with them.

"Did you fix it? The contest. Did you make sure the kids won so you could come to where I live?"

Shep paused and with maturity beyond his age said, "That wouldn't be very Santa-like of me would it."

"So you didn't? It just seems really coincidental, us always running into each other."

He tilted his head, "You won the contest fair and square. I don't believe in coincidences. Maybe you shouldn't believe in them either."

"What should I believe in? Santa?"

"Santa, Christmas, yourself. I think you should believe in all of it."

Without saying anything else Shep turned and headed to the stairwell. Marcella walked back to the apartment door trying to work through what Shep had just said. That's when she heard a new voice in the hall.

"Hey, Marcella," it was one of Wilfredo's Pizza parlor employees. "Someone dropped this card off for you downstairs."

She thanked him before heading inside. She opened the envelope and immediately recognized Frank's handwriting. It was a plain white card with three sentences on it. 'I'm sorry Marcella. I can't commit. Have a good Christmas.' She went back into the apartment and tossed the letter into the fireplace.

Marcella spent the rest of the day with her family. They wrapped gifts, baked cookies, and watched a Bob Hope Christmas special. She tried to be festive but it was a struggle. She was suddenly single and the truth was that Frank never felt the same way she did. It was hard for her not to see this as a reflection of herself. She had made a bad choice and followed it up with over investing. Maybe she was just bad at relationships. It all made her feel very lonely.

Samantha interrupted Marcella's reflections, "Auntie Marcella, do you believe in Santa Claus?"

She turned and looked at her niece, "Well—for you, yes. For me—I don't know."

The child looked at her curiously. "Why don't believe in him," she asked. "He was here earlier."

Marcella smiled, "Yes, I guess he was."

She thought about Shep, she did enjoy her time with him. He was a fun, good looking guy with a kind heart. He had bought her drinks and danced with her. He complimented her and they had thought-provoking conversations. Shep had done these things without really knowing her.

Marcella wondered if he could've developed feelings for her in just their brief encounters. He certainly seemed into her. She asked herself, was it wrong if he had developed feelings? When she concluded that there was nothing wrong with it she became excited.

Her excitement made her realize that maybe she had developed feelings for him as well. Someone new liked her and she liked them in return. An overwhelming sense of relief came over her. This is what Shep meant when he said she should believe in herself. She didn't have to be lonely, she could feel for someone, and that someone could feel for her.

Marcella went to the closet and grabbed her coat and boots.

Anna-Marie could see that her sister was flustered, "What's wrong?"

"I - I need to go. I forgot to get a gift for someone," she responded.

"Who?" Wilfredo asked.

"Myself," she exclaimed as she shot out the door.

The cab let Marcella out on the corner of Tarlak and Marlowe. This was where Shep said he lived. Hopefully, he meant on the corner and not near the corner. One of the properties was a fire station, another was a bank. The other two were buildings that looked like they had apartments in them. She checked the mailboxes next to the front door of the closest building. His name wasn't on any of the labels. She crossed the street and checked the mailboxes of the second building. Sure enough, the label on mailbox 2B said Sheppard Green.

Someone was exiting the building so she took advantage of the open door and slipped inside. Marcella found her way to apartment B on the second floor. She knocked, her heart pounding with anticipation. Moments later the door opened and she was face to face with Shep.

"Hey there," he said, with a smile of genuine surprise.

"Hi."

"How did you find my apartment?"

"I spoke to a reindeer. He said this is where they usually drop you off."

Shep laughed giving her just enough confidence that what she was doing wasn't crazy.

"May I come in?" she asked, trembling with excitement.

"Yeah sure." He stepped aside and let her in.

His apartment was a simple bachelor's studio. It was tidy and furnished with good taste. He had a beautifully decorated Christmas tree that gave the place a wonderful glow and a festive pine aroma.

Shep had a puzzled look on his face, "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. I was just out and thought you might want some company."

"What about Flobby?"

"Let's just say I'm a girl looking for some Christmas cheer and he's bah-humbug."

"So you came to see Santa?"

"That's right."

He nodded his head, "Listen, I don't know you well but I can tell you're kind, beautiful, and fun. Sometimes it's hard to see those traits in yourself. If you're with someone who won't remind you of those traits you'll never see them. You should be with someone who helps you be you."

There was a pause as they looked into each other's eyes. Marcella then lunged into him, her lips crashing into his. The rush made things awkward for a few seconds but they soon settled into a rhythm. Their lips moved together and their tongues entwined in a passionate dance. He moaned softly indicating that he liked kissing as much as she did.

Kissing is one of the lowest levels of sexual contact but it worked for Marcella every time. All it took was the touching of lips to instantly arouse her. She could feel her heart beating and her respiration quicken. She sensed her nipples stiffening and her womanhood ache. The arousal was building an excitement for sex that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Marcella broke the kiss as she pushed Shep into a chair. She straddled him and began unbuttoning his shirt. When she finished she yanked it open and ran her hands over his strong chest. After a few passes, she leaned in and began sucking on the nape of his neck. She could feel his erection through their pants and started grinding against it.

Shep matched her cravings. He grabbed the base of her sweater, pulled it over her head, and tossed it to the floor. He immediately began pressing his lips to the newly exposed skin. He blended soft kisses, moist licks, and gentle bites along her collarbones, neck, and ears. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, as she watched his mouth work its way over her flesh.

She knew what was coming when his hands made their way to her back. She pulled his mouth to hers and quickened the pace of their dry humping. With nimble and skilled fingers Shep unfastened her bra. She rolled her shoulders forward allowing him to push her back and pull the undergarment off with a single motion.

She watched a grin grow on his face before he exclaimed, "These look incredible on you. You're as sexy as you are beautiful."

He leaned in and put his mouth on her right breast. He used the tip of his tongue to lick the nipple in a slow circular pattern. After a few passes, he changed the sensation by switching to a lapping motion. The friction and sliding movement between her nipple and his tongue sent an electrical charge coursing through her core. Shep moved to her other nipple and repeated the stimulation. He moved back and forth, generating almost overwhelming sensations in each breast.

To avoid overheating Marcella shifted the action to Shep's body. She started to lay kisses down his chest toward his waistline. He reached out and ran his fingers through her deep black hair. She slid down until she was resting on her knees in front of him. She unfastened his pants and grabbed the waist on either side. He eagerly lifted his hips enough for her to pull both the slacks and boxers off simultaneously. His erection stood tall and excited.

Starting at his knees she slowly ran her hands along the inside of his thighs. When she got to his dick she wrapped her slim fingers around the base and leaned forward. She gave the head of his erection a gentle, testing kiss. He moaned, enticing her to kiss it a few more times, each one a bit longer than the last. She kissed down the shaft then up again. When her lips returned to the tip of his dick she kissed it deeply, flicking her tongue across the sensitive spot of skin.

Shep exhaled, "Marcella that feels so good."

She continued intimately attending to his erection. With each kiss, she parted her lips a little more and eventually encapsulated his cock in her mouth. Her tongue eagerly met its new visitor. He groaned letting her know how much he was enjoying what she was doing.

She slid down his length, her tongue rubbing the skin of his shaft. Once she had traveled as far as she could she slowly pulled back up and let his cock pop free of her mouth. Using her fingers to hold his erection close she swirled her tongue around the head, before taking it back into her mouth. She repeated this pattern several times before shifting to bobbing her head up and down.

Shep groaned her name over and over. Even on the receiving end of physical gratification, he made her feel sexy and wanted. This made giving him pleasure as enjoyable as anything he could've done for her.

After about a minute she tilted her head up to find him looking down at her. His face was an expression of exquisite agony. Speech was a struggle but he eventually pleaded, "S-stop. Stop. P-please. Please. Stand up."

Marcella was surprised at his request but stood. He put one arm behind her knees and with an impressive show of strength picked her up and into his arms. He carried her to his bed and lay her down with her legs dangling over the edge of the mattress.

Shep removed the rest of Marcella's clothes with the vigor of unwrapping a Christmas present. The excited look on his face made her feel like the gift he'd always wanted. He ran his strong hands over her body, caressing, rubbing, and squeezing. She loved being touched and relished being the center of his attention.

"I've wanted to see you like this since the first moment I saw you," he said as his palms ran down her shoulders, over her breasts, and to the sides of her hips.

She sat up, grabbed the back of his head, and whispered, "Come here," as she pulled his mouth to hers.

They kissed passionately, their naked bodies pressing together for the first time. The thrill of a new lover and the excitement of the moment filled Marcella with sexual energy. She could feel goosebumps on Shep's upper arms and his firm erection pressing on her belly. She could tell he was as stimulated as she was.